Channeling Chanel

Hello there!

I did a little shopping today, as per usual. I bought a new handbag (more on that later) and did a little pass by the Chanel counter.

I have been eyeing the Illusion D'Ombres Longwear Luminous Eyeshadows for a while. They have incredible reviews for their pigmentation and staying power. Which I can vouch for, given the amount of time and makeup remover it took to get the swatch off my hand. I purchased the black shade, Mirifique #85. Its a deep black with visible silver glitter. Its gorgeous.

I also was swatch convinced into a Stylo Eyeshadow in Moon River #07. This is a metallic taupe shade with plenty of sparkle. Taupe is a go to shade for me. Its simple and easy to pair. Bright pink blush, a nude lip, a berry glossy stain, etc. Taupe always works.

You can also see a tiny bottle there. It contains a Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation sample. The manager was kind enough to match me and provide a sample. I have extremely breakout prone skin and didn't want to make the full sized purchase if it was bad for my skin type. So, expect a review! 

-Rachel

New Additions: The Lip Products

Whelp. The black packaging and silver writing drew me in. I know I'm not the only one...yes? Yes.

If its any consolation, I only bought a few items, and they're all useful, neutral, everyday type products.

The problem...they're all lip products, which I already have too many of.

On to the goods:

Whirl Lip Pencil: I'd describe this as a tan for your lips, basically a much darker natural tone. Raising the color saturation. Its true to its description as a dirty rose.

Spice Lip Pencil: This is the more warmed toned of the three, but not overwhelmingly so. Its called a pink cinnamon by MAC, which I'd agree with, but I'd say it favors the cinnamon description.

Subculture Lip Pencil: MAC calls it an underground pink. Anyone want to guess at what underground means in this instance? I'm at a loss. This, for me, is a cooler medium pink that works well alone or with any marginally pinky lipstick.

Brave Lipstick: A pink beige that is a "my lips but better" plus a sheen shade. This is a satin finish lipstick. Easy wear, hard to mess up. Flattering in the simplest of ways. 

In order: Whirl, Spice, Subculture, Brave

Note: Brave is slightly more beige in person, flash can be tricky. 

XOXO

-Rachel

Guerlain Maxi Lash

Before I get in bed, I thought id do a quick little review of this mascara. So, a little hurried iPhone post this will be.

I always pick mascara samples when I place an order with Sephora. I never feel as though high end mascaras live up to the hype or are worth the cost. So, I pick the samples to see if I can be proved wrong. Ive tried Lancôme, Estee Lauder, MAC, Tarte, etc. I have purchased full sized high end mascaras based purely on hype before. Bad decisions.  Ive tried the famed Diorshow, which I thought was a pretty lackluster and kind of worthless mascara. So, keep that in mind.

My favorite drugstore mascaras have narrowed themselves to Loreal varieties. I prefer a deeply black mascara with significant volume and reasonable lengthening abilities. Curl is not a requirement for me.

When I received the Maxi Lash sample, I was expecting a completely average mascara. I was dead wrong and now feel compelled to purchase a $30 full size version. Its that good. (The packaging just so happens to be drool worthy...) Below are some photos I took to show the effects. This is one, I repeat, ONE light coat. Thats all. (I have no mascara on my bottom lashes and no eyeliner or eyeshadow on.)

Addict, Literally

I headed out for a makeup shopping adventure today- looking for a gift for a friend. (If you're curious, I purchases Chanel Glossimer in #156 Pampille for her.)

For myself, my shopping adventure lasted long after I left the mall. All summer I've had a list of cosmetics I intended to purchase. Needless to say, the list is empty now- although that includes a few things I saw in person and decided against. My purchases included:

(Image via Nordstrom.com)

The Home. T

No, that period is not a grammar mistake.
It's actually in reference to a company called The Home. T
They make and sell t-shirts with images of your home state with the word "home." written inside.

I came across the t-shirt on another blogger and loved it, so of course I turned to Google to find out where she got it. And this is what I found:

Tennessee Home. T ($25, http://www.thehomet.com/)

How cute, right?

Can you pass up a sale?

I know I can't.

Its unfortunate really- for my credit card at least. But, J. Crew had a sale. Again. And I succumbed to the % off sign. Again.
But all and all, I'm pleased with my purchases- and they let me have my student discount on top of the sale- which they normally don't do. Success all around.

Shall we check out the goods? Indeed.

My first purchase, Lauren would be proud of- a chambray shirt. I've been toying with the idea of purchasing one for a very long time. I am very anti jean/chambray combo- but considering I own 18 pairs of jeans (excessive, I'm aware), Its hard to come up with other options. I had to considered my current wardrobe before spend $80 on a shirt I wasn't positive I would get much wear out of. Now, I know I could have purchased a cheaper version, but I own more Forever 21 clothes than I should already, and quality is so much more important in the long run. In fact, I'm cleaning out my closet at school and home over spring break and removing all cheap and hardly worn clothes- more on that later though.
I justified the purchase a few ways-Patterned or colorful shorts do the trick, and there are always riding pants- part satin-y gorgeous, part fab texture stretch-, my fave skinny high waisted chinos, and colorful pants make a statement without excess. Leggings and yoga pants are the relaxed way to style. Even over flowy spring dresses and flouncy skirts- chambray works for effortless cover.

Slowly, slowly springing.

We've been on a winter hiatus because winter is generally a dull time and we were very busy baking, spending time with our families, and getting back into gear with school. But let's get on with better things than winter (baking, new collections, sunshine- you get the idea!)

Can we seriously just die together over J. Crew's new Spring collection?! It came into stores Thursday and I've already dog eared my Style Guide to death and bought a thing or two! Unfortunately, this winter, J. Crew was not really pushing the envelope as much as they usually do which resulted in many staples in some (semi) new colors, but a total lack of inspiration.

While this was good for my wallet and closet (let's be honest, it has been overflowing for months), I am glad to see them back in the swing of things! From the neon-pastel cashmere (you can really never have too much) to taking the Liberty floral colabbo up a notch to making tweeds a total Spring staple-- LOVE is in the air! Here are the pieces I'm stoked about.

Boy Shirt in Mint Strawberry Tartan

Obsessions

Okay, I just have to freak out for a moment.
I LOVE glitter. And suede. Mostly glitter.
Neiman Marcus is having a sale online (and in store, but I don't have one near me), so of course I clicked on the link. And then of course went immediately to the shoe section. Guess what greeted me?

These babies.

Suede & Glitter Bootie (Rachel Roy at NM)

They're perfection in shoe form. Gorgeous suede bootie with a fun sparkly twist. If I had the option (and the endurance), I'd wear these every.day.of my.life. At any rate, I have no where to wear them. I think they're a bit dressed up for statistics class, don't you?

Regardless of my shopping shortcomings- check out the awesome sale at NM, and purchase these (or other) fabulous shoes so that I can live vicariously through you.

XO,
Rachel

Fall Break Haul

It has been a long start to the semester and Fall Break could not have come at a better time. Don't you agree? I love getting to go home and see my family and bonus! Rachel and Allie are coming, too, even though they had their break last weekend. I know that just about everyone thinks their hometown has the best shopping/eating/atmosphere, but let me tell you, mine takes the cake. When I am here, there are a few stores that are unique to home and I must stop at.

The first place I have to go to is The Cosmetic Market. There are only two (Green Hills and Franklin) but they are worth the drive! They stock an array of beauty essentials and the atmosphere is to die for. In addition to carrying NARS, Bumble and Bumble, and a few other brands you can pick up at Sephora, they also carry Butter London nail polish which is a huge rarity. They also carry Emi-Jay's which are these amazing hair ties that don't crease your hair (score!) Usually I take about an hour to peruse but was in a rush, so I got in and out in a record 15 minutes!

Branwen's Feather

My J. Crew Addiction

It is a well known fact that I am a J. Crew addict. I love the colors, the fabrics, the fit, and most importantly, the way their style fits with mine: classic and not too fussy. I know that it can be pricey, but trust me when I say that if you follow my lead, you can get the best bang for your buck. P.S. Right now, your local store is probably offering an extra 25% off sale items! Hurry in!

If you're a student, you always always ALWAYS get an extra 15% off. That includes full price items, promotions, and extra 30-40% off sales (that's almost 50% off already reduced prices!)Your Michael Kors hybrid iPhone case/wallet wristlet is breathing sighs of relief already, I can tell. 

If you have the luxury of having a J. Crew near you, did you know you can call from their "red phone" and get free shipping? You can also use your student discount on items only offered online or get them to match lower online promotion prices this way and -bonus-the sales associates are always super helpful!

 Often times, you can get a better deal in the store than online (this especially applies with sale items). Let me tell you about the last few times I was my favorite place (and came in way under budget!)

Yesterday, I was rewarding myself for studying hard and (hopefully) passing my account exam. It was a bear and I was in desperate need of retail therapy. I went in and was very excited to see the extra 25% off sale items sign and went straight to what I'd had my eye on.

An Etsy Addiction

Why, hello there!

    Lauren's lovely intro post already explains our odds & ends friendship, which, by the way, is as wonderfully different as can be. However, our love of a particular site is identical and insurmountable. Now, if you have not yet heard of Etsy.com, you must not have quite the online shopping addiction that I seem to have (It's a problem- I'm working on it.)

    For those who are not aware, Etsy is a rather revolutionary site where anyone can have an online shop to market their vintage, handmade, or one of a kind goods. Type your purchasing whims into the search bar and prepare to wear out your credit card. Note: I have done such a thing one too many times. And the results are full of happiness. Here are a few of my favorite purchases: